Spoiling the Broth since February, 2004.

Comments: Pricing schemes

Comments

I've always thought that wine pricing was outrageous, but a recent Chowhound discussion convinced me that it's not that unreasonable to mark up 3 or 4 times retail. Restaurants don't get the volume discounts of stores. They have to pay to store the wine. Glassware is expensive and easily broken. Taking the fall on spoiled bottles also eats into their bottom line. Top places also have to hire someone to handle the wines.

As someone pointed out, no one complains about a huge mark up on a simply salad. Maybe it's because wine prices climb so quickly.

I'll have to read the article, though. The restaurant of a local wine shop here in New Orleans sell glasses of wine for $1.50 and beers for 75˘.